Portable Barbecue Box

ABSTRACT

A portable barbecue box is disclosed. The portable barbecue box of the present invention comprises a cooking chamber, a heating tube, food supporting element(s), a control compartment and a motor. The food supporting element(s) may be a plurality of sticks. The heating tube is disposed inside the cooking chamber. A plurality of slots are provided on one side of the chamber so as to hold the sticks in place The motor may be turned on so that the sticks with food on may be rotated around. The output axle of the motor is connected with a set of cogwheels. The cogwheels may mesh with each other or a transmission wheel may be provided between each pair of the cogwheels. Hence, the motor may be turned on to rotate the food supporting element(s).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to a portable barbecue box. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a portable barbecue box that maybe used to barbecue or cook steaks, beef, hotdogs, burgers and otherkinds of food and that is easy to clean and use and is environmentallyfriendly and economical.

2. Description of the prior art

In the contemporary society, with the fast development of urbanization,work and daily life become ever more stressful. People start to put moreemphasis on their leisure activities and hope to use leisure activitiesto balance their life.

Among leisure activities, barbecue activity is a popular one. Theprocess of barbecue activity allows people to relax and enjoy deliciousfood and each other's company.

In traditional barbecue activity, we have to prepare food, metal frame,charcoal, etc. If something goes wrong, such barbecue activity may begreatly affected and quarrels may occur between friends.

In addition, the use of improper barbecue devices may create a lot ofgarbage, grease and ash, which pollute our environment, and may evencause fires.

In this invention, a portable barbecue box is disclosed. The portablebarbecue box of the present invention is relatively compact, easy touse, easy to carry around and environmentally friendly. It may be usedin the outdoor and in our home. After the inventor put in a lot ofeffort in the subject and did some experiments, the inventor hassuccessfully come up with the portable barbecue box of the presentinvention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a portablebarbecue box that is easy to use so that food may be barbecued easilyand the pleasure of a barbecue activity may be enhanced.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a portablebarbecue box that is compact and easy to carry around so that it may becarried in an automobile and may be used in our home.

A third objective of the present invention is to provide a portablebarbecue box that is environmentally friendly and allows grease and ashto be gathered and discarded.

The portable barbecue box of the present invention comprises a cookingchamber, a heating tube, food supporting element(s), a controlcompartment and a motor. The food supporting element(s) may be aplurality of sticks. The heating tube is disposed inside the cookingchamber. A plurality of slots are provided on one side of the chamber soas to hold the sticks in place. The motor, disposed in the compartment,may be turned on so that the sticks with food on may be rotated around.The output axle of the motor is connected with a set of cogwheels, whichincludes a plurality of cogwheels. The cogwheels may mesh with eachother or a transmission wheel may be provided between each pair of thecogwheels. A positioning piece is provided on each cogwheel, and apositioning hole is centrally provided on each positioning piece.Whence, the proximal end and distal end of each stick may be positionedin a slot and a positioning hole, respectively. Hence, the motor may beturned on to rotate the sticks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings disclose an illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention which serves to exemplify the various advantages and objectshereof, and are as follows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the presentinvention with all the accessories.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the presentinvention with the cover closed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the presentinvention, illustrating how the sticks are used.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a stick with a food fixing piece fittedon it.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the presentinvention, illustrating how the net is used.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the portable barbecue box of the presentinvention, illustrating how the cylindrical rollers are used.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view illustrating the sticks and the components ofthe control compartment.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view illustrating the cylindrical rollers and thecomponents of the control compartment.

List of reference numerals  1 Portable barbecue box  11 Cooking chamber 12 Heating tube  13 Cover  14 Slots  15 Control compartment  16 Net  17Food fixing pieces  18 Indicator light  19 Grease collecting pan  2Sticks  21 Retaining rings  3 Motor 311 Cogwheels  31 A set of cogwheels312 Transmission wheels 313 Positioning pieces 314 Positioning holes  32Enclosure piece  33 Enclosure piece  4 Cylindrical rollers

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention may become more understandable if the followingdescription is read with reference to the drawings.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. The portable barbecue box 1 of thepresent invention comprises a cooking chamber 11, a heating tube 12,food supporting element(s), a control compartment 15, a motor 3, a cover13, an indicator light and a grease collecting pan 19. The cover 13 isdisposed on top of the cooking chamber 11. The cover may be closed whenthe box 1 is not in use so as to keep the cooking chamber 11 in a cleancondition. The heating tube 12 is disposed in the cooking chamber 11.The food supporting elements may be placed in an upper portion of thecooking chamber 11. In use, food is placed on the food supportingelements; then, food may be cooked by the heating tube 12, whoseelectricity is supplied by a built-in power supply unit or a powersource (not shown in the drawings) from outside of the box 1. The greasecollecting pan 19 is disposed on the bottom of the cooking chamber 11 soas to collect grease and ash.

The food supporting elements may be a plurality of sticks 2 (food may beattached on these sticks 2 so as to be barbecued) or a plurality ofcylindrical rollers 4 (food may be placed on these cylindrical rollers 4so as to be barbecued and moved around) or a net 16 (food may be placedon the net 16 so as to be barbecued). A handle may be provided on thenet 16 or a stick 2 may be used with the net 16 so that the net 16 maybe fixedly rest in the upper portion of the portable barbecue box 1.

Please refer to FIG. 3, which illustrates how the sticks 2 are used. Aplurality of slots 14 are provided on one side of the cooking chamber 11and may hold the sticks 2 in place. A control compartment 15 is providedon the other side of the cooking chamber 11. The distal end of eachstick 2 may be inserted into one of several holes provided in controlcompartment 15. Now, each stick 2 and food attached to it may be rotatedby a motor disposed in the control compartment 15. A retaining ring 21may be provided on each stick 2 and may press against a wall of thecooking chamber 11 so as to keep the stick 2 from getting off thecorresponding slot while being rotated. Also, a food fixing piece 17 maybe fitted on each stick 2; each food fixing piece 17 may be insertedinto food so that food may be fixedly held on the corresponding stick 2.

Please refer to FIG. 4, which illustrates how the net 16 is used. Thenet 16 may be held in place by placing the handle or the stick 2 intothe slot 14 and the hole. Now, food may be placed on the net 16 so as tobe barbecued.

Please refer to FIG. 5, which illustrates how the cylindrical rollers 4are used. First, a stick 2 is placed inside each cylindrical roller 4.Then, food may be placed on these cylindrical rollers 4 so as to bebarbecued and moved around.

Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7, which illustrate the structure of thecontrol compartment 15. A motor 3 is disposed in the control compartment15. The output axle of the motor 3 is connected with a set of cogwheels31. Two enclosure pieces 32 and 33 are provided so that the set ofcogwheels 31 may be properly positioned. The set of cogwheels 31includes a plurality of cogwheels 311; the cogwheels 311 may mesh witheach other or a transmission wheel 312 may be provided between each pairof the cogwheels 311. A positioning piece 313 is provided on eachcogwheel 311 and extends beyond a corresponding hole in the enclosurepiece 32. A positioning hole 314 is centrally provided on eachpositioning piece 313. In use, the proximal portion and distal end ofeach stick 2 may be positioned in a slot 14 and a positioning hole 314,respectively; now, the motor 3 may be turned on to rotate the sticks 2.To ensure a tight fit, the distal end of each stick 2 and eachpositioning hole 314 has a polygonal shape so that the distal end ofeach stick 2 may be fixedly held inside the corresponding positioninghole 314. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the distal end of each roller4 may engage with the outer perimeter of a positioning piece 313 so thatthe motor 3 may be turned on to rotate the rollers 4.

Many changes and modifications in the above described embodiment of theinvention can, of course, be carried out without departing from thescope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and theuseful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limitedonly by the scope of the appended claims.

1. A portable barbecue box, comprising: a cooking chamber, with aheating tube disposed in the cooking chamber; a control compartment,provided on one side of the cooking chamber, characterized in thatelectricity is supplied by a built-in power supply unit in the controlcompartment or a power source outside of the portable barbecue box; anda plurality of sticks, which may be placed in an upper portion of thecooking chamber so that food may be put on these sticks so as to bebarbecued.
 2. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a coveris provided so that the portable barbecue box may be closed.
 3. Theportable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a grease collecting pan isdisposed on the bottom of the cooking chamber so as to collect greaseand ash.
 4. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a foodfixing piece may be provided and fitted on each stick and may beinserted into food so that food may be fixedly held and barbecued on thecorresponding stick.
 5. The portable barbecue box as in claim 1, whereinthe food supporting elements may be a net, and a handle may be providedon the net or a stick may be used with the net so that the net may befixedly rest in the upper portion of the portable barbecue box and sothat food may be placed on the net and be barbecued.
 6. The portablebarbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of slots are provided onone side of the cooking chamber and may hold the sticks in place, andwherein a retaining ring may be provided on each stick and may pressagainst a wall of the cooking chamber so as to keep each stick fromgetting off the corresponding slot while being rotated.
 7. The portablebarbecue box as in claim 1, wherein a motor is disposed in the controlcompartment and the output axle of the motor is connected with a set ofcogwheels, and wherein the set of cogwheels includes a plurality ofcogwheels, a positioning piece is provided on each cogwheel and apositioning hole is provided on each positioning piece so that thedistal end of each stick may be held by a corresponding positioningpiece and so that each stick may be rotated around.
 8. The portablebarbecue box as in claim 7, wherein the cogwheels may mesh with eachother or a transmission wheel may be provided between each pair of thecogwheels.
 9. The portable barbecue box as in claim 7, wherein aplurality of cylindrical rollers may be provided, and wherein each stickmay be placed inside a cylindrical roller and the distal end of eachroller may engage with the outer perimeter of a positioning piece.